


Undertow

by Ree_Dragon



Series: The Path of the Hero [3]
Category: Splatoon
Genre: Gen, all relationships listed are platonic, drabble fics, except maybe a teensy bit of Pearlina, reflections mostly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:07:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28633728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ree_Dragon/pseuds/Ree_Dragon
Summary: A collection of drabbles starring the members of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, mostly focused on current states of mind for the The Path of the Hero series.
Relationships: Agent 8 & Sheldon, Callie & Marie (Splatoon), Marina & Pearl (Splatoon)
Series: The Path of the Hero [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1934917
Comments: 18
Kudos: 15





	1. Agent One

**Author's Note:**

> That fic I mentioned at the end of my last one-shot? This isn't it - that idea failed spectacularly. This is something I came up with around Christmas after many failed attempts at writing something halfway decent (I've been writing nearly every day, but this is just how it goes with me sometimes). The plan was to have them all done and uploaded on New Year's Eve, but I lost internet for a good few days (including New Year's Eve) and that just completely threw me off. I sure hope that isn't an omen of things to come. XD
> 
> I have one of these for each of my agents, plus Cuttlefish, and I'll be uploading one every few days or so while I try writing something a bit more...substantial. Hopefully I don't keep y'all waiting quite that long again. Sorry, but thanks for being patient with me. <3

They were just there…waiting…beckoning. Callie's ink sang with the need. It had been so long since she’d rocked a fresh pair of shades!

But…the consequences? Octavio, sending innocents out to be splatted. Marie, fighting back tears. Agent Four, risking her life. Hurt and disappointment from her giving in. Knowing that she’d risked everything and everyone. Again.

“Three, can you come here? I don’t trust myself...”

Someday, she’d overcome this. Then she could trust herself, and everyone would be happy. Today wasn’t that day, but she was better today than she’d been back then.

She hadn’t given in.


	2. Agent Two

Talking was one of those things that seemed so easy for everyone that wasn’t Marie. Compliments, comfort…even conversations that didn’t lapse into awkward silence! How did Callie do it?! How did Callie say whatever she thought or felt without fear or worry? How did she attract all the attention in a room or on stage without feeling so self-conscious? How did she get the words from her brain to her tongue without losing them along the way? How did she just…talk to someone?

Where did Callie get her courage, and how could Marie find some for herself?


	3. Agent Three

Secret agents, friends with the most prominent idols in Inkopolis, octarians actually existing, ancient sinister laboratories that perform cruel experiments on actual people… If Three hadn’t been living her life, she’d have thought it some crazy delusion in the mind of the world’s most sun-baked jellyfish.

Shell, sometimes she still wasn’t convinced. Part of her still expected to find herself in her old hometown. Somehow though, each morning found her still in her apartment. Still an agent, fighting the good fight alongside the most unlikely allies in the universe.

Seriously, when did her life become a Saturday morning cartoon?


	4. Agent Four

Splatting was necessary in a war. Four knew this. Had known it since the day she’d been recruited. Now, after knowing Eight and Marina and after teaming up with friendly octolings in Turf and Ranked, she couldn’t help but feel guilt coursing through her whenever she thought of all the octarians she’d fought against. Octarians that may or may not have had a choice in the matter. Octarians that were simply following orders.

Nothing she could do about it now, but she hoped she’d get to meet some of them again. She had a lot of forgiveness to ask for.


	5. Agent Five

Concerts were exhausting, so Pearl dozed off as soon as she and Marina were seated in the limo.

First, she was sitting straight, head resting against the top of her seat.

Then, her cheek was on Marina’s shoulder while the octoling snored softly beside her.

Finally, she was in her squid form, laying in Marina’s lap with her longest tentacles wrapped around one of her bandmate’s arms.

Oops.

Marina didn’t seem to mind…or notice. Pearl settled in for a longer nap. Maybe, once she’d figured out how to make things official, they could have more of these moments. Deliberately.


	6. Agent Six

Marina would never regret her escape, but she had to admit that there was one thing she missed - technology. Yes, there were the Splatfest stages and the construction zones, but honestly? The inklings just weren’t as developed.

At least she had her motorcycle. It may be a bit primitive, but the sheer feeling of freedom was greater than anything she’d ever felt before. One of these days, she had to help Pearlie learn to ride. Then they could do this together - just them, the bike, and the endless sky.

Or maybe she should just get a sidecar. That was faster.


	7. Agent Eight

Sheldon sure could talk. Eight had no idea how he could think up so many words, let alone string them together in seamless monologue for so long without running out of things to say. It annoyed her other friends, but she found it calming. His voice grounded her in the present and reminded her that she was free. Whenever she managed to recall a piece of her past - Kamabo or before - he broke through. Combated every unpleasant thought with reminders of her freedom, and all the joys surface life provided.

And, someday, she’d figure out a way to thank him.


	8. The Captain

Octolings living peacefully in Inkopolis… It was amazing how fast the world could change, and Craig as well. After witnessing Agent Eight’s heroism and Marina Ida’s part in aiding their escape, and watching both these octolings fight just as hard as his other agents…it made him remember that the two species weren’t so different.

He could never forget the Great Turf War, but now… Now he had to believe in an Inkopolis that promised freedom to all who desired it. He couldn’t do much, but he would help his agents fight for that freedom in whatever way he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of the drabble series (I know what the word count on here says, but all the drabbles are exactly 100 words in Scrivener). I'll have to do something like this again next time I'm having some serious problems getting a story out - it filled the gap quite nicely.
> 
> A bit of good news - the next "real" part of the series is done and ready, and should be up within a few days (I like to wait until I've fallen off the first page). I've already started working on the story after that, too, but we'll see how things go.


End file.
